Toms River Times
Couple of artists brings history of the county to life
By Don Bennett
Staff Writer
TOMS RIVER – Its been decades since a train rolled into Toms River train station, even longer since a steam locomotive powered a train .
The tracks and trains are gone. So is the train station. Two Fort Lee Artists are doing their part to keep the memory of the station , as it appeared in 1903, alive through a painting based on old photographs. Its one of fifty nostalgic glimpses of the past painted by Mary Kingston and Barry Shiff They found their niche in New Jersey's past by accident four years ago. Mary Recalled Her husband painted an Atlantic City boardwalk since and decided to put "a lady in a long dress" in the oil painting.
"Its sold right away." She said. "This is something" they agreed.
About to do an art show in Hoboken they decided to paint a scene on Newark Street there in 1900 "It sold immediately. We were really excited."she recalled.
Convinced that people are interested in nostalgic return to New Jersey past. The couple began researching and collaborating on a series of paintings.
Barry Shiff Paints in oils. She favored watercolors. They met at art show, where their works were exhibited, side by side. 15 years ago. "We're kindred spirits in the art world." she said.
About four years ago they decided to start working together on paintings, once they completed enough research to make the scene authentic.
"We went to old post card shows, contacted historical societies looking for photographs" Mary Shiff said.
The Toms River depot painting debuted last summer at a show in Ocean Grove.
"Barry does the building and figures. I do the trees and the the flowers." She said.
They started with a collection of a dozen paintings from which they made prints. Now the collection has grown to 50, mostly of Bergen County scene that is where they live.
Many retirees who live in Ocean County may recognize Montclair's Lackawanna Terminal. Palisades Amusement Park' either in 1908 or in the 1950s, or the train station at Glen Ridge, Englewood, Dumont, or Cresskill.
There are shore scenes too. Old Barney in 1902, Asbury Park Arcade in 1901, Wesley Lake at Asbury Park in 1903, Congress Row at Cape May in 1903, a rustic Spring Lake bridge in 1902, the Ocean Grove tent colony in 1908, and just completed Belmar boardwalk and Tenth Avenue pavilion in 1903.
The paintings invoke memories of the past, a time in Ocean County, for example when passenger and freight trains were a transportation staple. Tourists bound for the Ocean County resorts would pass through the Toms River station on the way south take the spur to Barnagat Pier just south of Ocean Gate, cross the bay to seaside Park and take train north on Barnegat Peninsula. Continuing south, they could take the train across the bay at Manahawkin to Long Beach Island and go by rail north to Barneget Light, or south to Beach Haven.
The Toms River station was actually in Berkeley Township in 1903,i in 1927, when south Toms River was created from Berkeley Township, it was located in that borough the station was south of Route 9 east of South Main Street.
The Shiffs will show their works at area shows this summer including Atlantic Highlands on June 19, Ocean Grove in August and Seaside Park Sept. 4.
For information call the shiffs, "the art couple" at 201- 944 1813.
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New Jersey Nostalgia
Regina Molarois is a freelance writer who covers art Design Beauty and Fashion.
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